by Rick Beavin, California Market President Humana

It’s that time of year when people with Medicare review their health insurance choices and enroll in a Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug plan for the coming year.

People typically have a lot of questions as they research their Medicare options, which primarily include Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, before finding the plan that best fits their needs.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions Humana licensed health insurance agents get from consumers during the Medicare Annual Election Period:

When is the annual enrollment period to choose a Medicare plan for 2019?

The Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Annual Election Period takes place from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2018, for coverage that takes effect Jan. 1, 2019.

Do I have to re-enroll in Medicare every year?

You don’t need to sign up for Original Medicare each year. However, you should review your Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan coverage annually, since Medicare plans and personal circumstances can change every year. If you take no action during the annual enrollment period, you’ll typically automatically be re-enrolled in your same medical or prescription plan for 2019.

Does Medicare include coverage for my prescription drugs?

Original Medicare does not cover most prescription drugs. Many Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage, or you can sign up for a Part D Prescription Drug Plan separately. A licensed agent can look up your medications and tell you what the cost of each drug would be on a plan.

How are health insurers like Humana able to offer Medicare Advantage plans with no monthly premium?

Private insurers keep premiums low through programs like disease and chronic care management, which help people better manage health conditions and, in turn, reduce health care costs. Keep in mind that you still need to pay your Medicare Part B premium, which covers medical services and preventive care. You might want to use the additional premium dollars you save for out-of-pocket medical costs, such as co-pays.

How do I find out if my doctors, hospitals and specialists are in my Medicare Advantage provider network?

Most Medicare Advantage plans offer easy-to-use online tools to help you find doctors and hospitals that are in the plan’s network. A licensed agent can also help you look up hospitals and doctors to see if they’re accepting a plan and taking new patients.

If I select a Medicare plan for the coming year, and then find I don’t like it, can I drop it and choose another plan?

The plan you select by Dec. 7 will be your Medicare plan for all of 2019, with few exceptions, so it’s wise to research your options carefully. If you sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan for 2019, and then find it’s not the right fit, between Jan. 1 and March 31, there will be an Open Enrollment Period during which you can switch from a Medicare Advantage or a Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plan to another Medicare Advantage plan with or without prescription drug coverage, or choose Original Medicare with or without a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan. Full information on 2019 Medicare health and prescription drug plans is available on www.medicare.gov, and for Humana plans atwww.humana.com/Medicare. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (or TTY: 1-877-486-2048) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or call Humana at 1-877-877-0714 (TTY use 711) 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time seven days a week.

by Howard Bedlin

Democrats could pick up as many as 40 new seats, establishing an anticipated 234-201 margin in the House. That means, House Democrats can lose only 16 votes within their party to pass legislation. So, the 20-25 conservative Democrats, also known as “Blue Dogs,” who could represent swing votes, will likely have increased influence in the House.

It is not certain whether current Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will be able to secure the votes needed to be the next House Speaker. Several candidates who won office, as well as several current Democratic members, have said they will not support her.

House Ways and Means Committee: Richard Neal (D-MA) will chair this committee that has jurisdiction over Medicare, Social Security, and tax issues. The chair of the Health Subcommittee will be either Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) or Mike Thompson (D-CA).

House Energy and Commerce Committee: Frank Pallone (D-NJ) will chair this committee that has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid issues. The Health Subcommittee chair will be Anna Eshoo (D-CA).

Appropriations Committee: The new chair will be Nita Lowey (D-NY), and the chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee will be Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).

Education and Labor Committee: Bobby Scott (D-VA) will be the new chair of this committee, which will oversee the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 2019.

Changes in the Senate

In the Senate, Republicans gained one seat for a margin of 52-48, and they may gain another, pending the outcome of the Mississippi runoff race today. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will continue to be the Senate Majority Leader, with Chuck Schumer (D-NY) continues as Minority Leader. Moderate Republicans such as Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Mitt Romney (R-UT) are expected to be key swing votes.

One important leadership change is that Chuck Grassley (R-IA) will take over as chair of the Senate Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and tax issues, replacing retiring Orrin Hatch (R-UT). The Finance Committee.

With the Democrats in control of the House, fears about key programs being cut are eased. If Republicans had retained control of the House, Senate, and White House, many expected they would continue to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and significantly cut and cap Medicaid, which helps about 7 million low-income seniors. There were also fears that Republicans would attempt major cuts to Medicare, OAA and other discretionary appropriations, and potentially Social Security to help pay for the $1.5 trillion increase in the deficit due to last year’s tax cuts.

Leaders, instead, are expected to focus on several key health care issues, including reducing prescription drug costs, Medicare for All proposals, and stabilizing the ACA. Other priorities will likely include climate change, immigration, gun safety, voting rights, and infrastructure, as well as several investigations of the White House.

Some of these bolder House issues have little or no chance of passing the Republican Senate and being signed into law by the president. However, some compromises can be made to gain bipartisan support and move through to final passage.

Help spread holiday warmth and cheer by adopting one of the 70 homebound seniors that participate in the Ventura Avenue Adult Center (VAAC) Home Delivered Meal Program (HDM).

The VAAC has partnered with Home Instead Senior Care of Thousand Oaks to collect “wish list” items for needy homebound seniors. A tree will be placed in City Hall at the Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships (PRCP) department (room 226) and will contain paper ornaments reflecting the wishes of these particular seniors. Please purchase the desired item and return it with the ornament attached to PRCP. No need to wrap, Home Instead will be taking care of that!

The Be a Santa to a Senior drive will run until December 6. Gifts will be delivered to our seniors the week of December 17 by our Home Delivered Meal Volunteers.

Thank you in advance for your generous donation and for brightening the lives of lonely or isolated seniors in our community. For more information visit the Adult and Senior Services website or contact Cheryl Bucklin at 805-654-7557 or [email protected].

by Jayson Cohen American Legacy Solutions

“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back” is the famous Chinese proverb although for this article it may be more fitting to say, to know the road ahead, ask those looking back. Everyone has different ideas of what it is like to retire. However, their ideas may be based solely on what they assume or what they have heard. The only way to know for certain is to ask people who have gone through it. Here are several facts and myths that you should learn more about the retirement planning experience.

A lot of people assume that boredom is a common occurrence for people without jobs. This is not an issue for those who have their days planned out. Many retirees claim that they have very few boring days. They say that they simply have more time to invest in things that they enjoy doing. Those who are struggling with boredom are encouraged to create their day-to-day schedules and list the activities that they now have time for.

Many people worry about the high costs of covering a retirement. They automatically assume that without having a steady income, they will run out of money quickly. However, some retirees claim that their lives have become simpler with fewer responsibilities. They have given up the activities that they did during their workdays and now spend more idle time at home.  Of course, retirement expenses are less of a concern when proper planning takes place.

Retirement does not have to mean no work forever. There are numerous retirees who have taken on part time jobs or gigs to make a supplemental income. They do this to add to their current income or to cover costs for vacations or recreational activities. Other people continue working just to remain occupied. For every retiree, there is a work activity that he or she can do to stay active.

Planning is a task that few people look forward to about retiring. Without a well-detailed plan, any retirement is not guaranteed to go smoothly. An injury or accident could happen unexpectedly and cause major losses to a person’s budget. People should plan their retirements carefully like they are planning their careers.

A retirement does not have to be figured out in a short period of time. You could learn more about planning for a retirement while you are retired. For many retirees, the most helpful experiences are faced firsthand. Do not stop learning about the retirement process before you begin it and remain open to gaining more knowledge through your retirement years.

Declining health is an obvious concern for retired seniors. Young retirees in their 30s or 40s also worry about their health because they are more idle after quitting their jobs. We should be so lucky!  Some retirees are less active and more likely to become lazy or overweight than employed workers. Regardless of age, it’s important that they keep track of their health until the last days of retirement.

Retirement is one of the most unpredictable events in life. Many people plan for years but still face challenges that surprise them. While some people may assume that retirement is boring, some retirees claim that it’s the most exciting period of their lives. It’s important to plan well for the retirement planning experience and make the most from this period in your life.

As with most experiences in life, proper planning can help make your retirement more enjoyable.  We are here to take a second look at your retirement plan or create a plan that helps you achieve your goals.

by Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

You made the choice and now you are happily retired. You filed online for your Social Security benefits. They arrive each month in the correct amount exactly as expected. But, did you ever wonder if your Social Security check could increase?

Once you begin receiving benefits, there are three common ways benefit checks can increase: a cost of living adjustment (COLA); additional work; or an adjustment at full retirement age if you received reduced benefits and exceeded the earnings limit.

The COLA is the most commonly known increase for Social Security payments. We annually announce a COLA, and there’s usually an increase in the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit amount people receive each month. By law, federal benefit rates increase when the cost of living rises, as measured by the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). More than 66 million Americans saw a 2.0 percent increase in their Social Security and SSI benefits in 2018. For more information on the 2018 COLA, visit https://www.ssa.gov/cola/.

Social Security uses your highest thirty-five years of earnings to figure your benefit amount when you sign up for benefits. If you work after you begin receiving benefits, your additional earnings may increase your payment. If you had fewer than 35 years of earnings when we figured your benefit, you will replace a zero earnings year with new earnings. If you had 35 years or more, we will check to see if your new year of earnings is higher than the lowest of the 35 years (after considering indexing). We check additional earnings each year you work while receiving Social Security. If an increase is due, we send a notice and pay a one-time check for the increase and your continuing payment will be higher.

Maybe you chose to receive reduced Social Security retirement benefits while continuing to work. You made the choice to take benefits early, but at a reduced rate. If you exceeded the allowable earnings limit and had some of your benefits withheld, we will adjust your benefit once you reach full retirement age. We will refigure your payment to credit you for any months you did not receive payments.  Your monthly benefit will increase based on the crediting months you receive.

Retirement just got more interesting since you learned about potential increases to monthly payments. Social Security has been securing your today and tomorrow for more than 80 years with information and tools to help you achieve a successful retirement.

On Veterans Day, Sunday, November 11, the Ventura Townehouse presented its annual Veterans Day Ceremony out doors at the front of the Townehouse. The large patriotic gathering included residents, veterans and guests. The salute to all our men and women in uniform included patriotic concert music by the Ventura British Brass and a color guard. Personal recognition was made to the many veterans living at the Townehouse many of whom spoke of their call to duty and shared their military experiences.

With bagpipe music playing a wreath was laid at the flagpole which concluded the outdoor ceremony. Inside the Townehouse information was available explaining veterans’ benefits and refreshments were served.

by Adam Ghering
Public Affairs Specialist with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 6 Americans gets sick from foodborne poisoning each year. Older adults are at an increased risk of more serious infections from food poisoning due to medications, age-related weakening of the immune system, and other underlying conditions. While we’re on the topic of getting sick, if you have recently been a victim of a severe case of food poisoning which resulted in symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting, it may be worth getting in touch with a food poisoning lawyer. This way, you can speak to someone who knows what you are going through and hopefully get some advice that’ll help you move forward from this.

At the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), we have some great information to keep your family safe from foodborne illness year-round, and especially during the holiday season.

Do not wash your turkey and meats before cooking. Rinsing your poultry can actually spray bacteria up to three feet! Think about what you keep within three feet of your sink. And for all that mess, rinsing your turkey doesn’t actually eliminate very much bacteria.

Do not stuff your turkey the night before cooking. The cavity of a turkey actually insulates your stuffing from the cold temperatures of your fridge and causes bacteria to multiply. To save time, but also stay safe, prepare your stuffing the night before, refrigerate it in a separate container, and add it to your turkey just before popping it in the oven.

Thaw your turkey and meats in the refrigerator. Setting your turkey out on the counter to thaw is not safe. After just two hours, your turkey enters the danger zone of unsafe temperatures—40-140° F—and bacteria will begin to multiply, even if the center is still frozen. You can cook your turkey from the frozen state; it will just take 50% more time. Two other safe options are to either use cold water or a microwave to defrost.

Use a food thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the turkey is 165° F.

Any temperature below 165° F means that E-coli bacteria could still be lurking, which can cause serious illness or even death when consumed. Ovens cook unevenly, so make sure to take temperature measurements from both sides of the bird. For even cooking, it’s recommended that you rotate and flip your turkey often. Don’t forget to check the stuffing separately to make sure it reaches 165° F.

The food you don’t eat should be in the fridge within two hours of cooking and use those leftovers within four days.

While sitting out, hot food, like green bean casserole, must be kept at a temperature of 140° F or greater, while chilled food, like cranberry sauce, must be kept at a temperature of 40° F or less. Any perishable food that sits out of its recommended temperature safe zone more than one hour should be tossed.

Cool hot food quickly to 40° F in order to avoid bacteria growth. Divide larger food, like your ham or pot of sweet potatoes into smaller containers to speed up the cooling process or stick them directly in the fridge.

Store leftovers in airtight packaging or containers for up to four days in the fridge or 3-4 months in the freezer.To eat leftovers, either thaw them via the fridge, cold water, or microwave, or reheat them frozen. When reheating, ensure your food reaches a temperature of 165° F or greater by using a food thermometer to test.

If you have additional food safety questions call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern on Thanksgiving Day.

Food safety is a year-round concern. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is working with senior centers across the country to host Food Safety 101, a special program taught by a USDA Food Safety Ambassador.

Encourage a senior center in your community to apply to host a class. Share this link with your center director, so they can sign up: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016FoodSafety101.

According to Census data, more than 20 million Americans are veterans of foreign wars. Roughly half of those veterans (9.2 million) are aged 65 and older, including more than 1.3 million World War II veterans over the age of 85.

Though our nation’s heroes may have the gift of longevity, with more years often comes a greater strain on financial resources. If you or a loved one is a veteran, read on to learn about the variety of public and private benefits that can help you afford to remain independent, healthy, and secure.

Types of veterans’ benefits

Veterans’ benefits come in many forms—from cash grants and education assistance to home and community-based services. Eligibility for many programs depends upon the length and type of service, whether you incurred any service-related disability, and your household income. Many of the programs described below are available to veterans of all ages who qualify.

Veterans’ pensions are administered by the Veterans Administration (VA) and provide a monthly cash benefit to those 65 years of age or older or who are disabled at any age. The amount you receive depends on your income, number of dependents, and the program’s pension rate for the year of your application.

Disability payments are available to veterans who suffered an injury/disease or worsening of such a condition while on active duty. Extra compensation is available if you have very severe disabilities or limb loss, dependents, and/or a seriously disabled spouse.

Financial aid for education is also available through the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) or Post-9/11 GI Bill to help pay for tuition, books, fees, examinations, and housing expenses for graduate and undergraduate degrees, and vocational and technical training.

The Aid and Attendance (A&A) and Housebound benefits are two programs that provide financial help for veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting. It also helps pay for care in assisted living facilities. This benefit is only available to those with a wartime service record (and their spouses) who are aged 65 and older and who also qualify for a VA basic pension.

The Choice Program can help you find health care services in your community, as an option to bypass waiting for appointments with the VA or traveling a long distance to get to a VA facility.

VA Blind Rehabilitation Services help you remain independent by providing services if you are blind or have low vision. The services can take place in an inpatient or outpatient facility or in your home, based on level of need.

Veterans’ home loans help members of the military secure mortgage loans to purchase a home. The VA administers a guaranteed mortgage loan through an approved lender. A VA loan will protect you if you end up having trouble paying your mortgage, as the VA will guarantee repayment of the loan to your lender.

Caregivers of veterans may also be eligible to receive help through programs such as:

Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) services, which enable the veteran to participate in supervised, safe activities outside of the home, giving the caregiver an opportunity to take time for self-care.

Respite care of up to 30 days per year to provide a break from their caregiving duties.

All the programs are included in BenefitsCheckUp.org, NCOA’s free and confidential online benefits screening tool.

Completing the BenefitsCheckUp® questionnaire will show whether you or a loved one are likely eligible for the programs, and provide information on where to get assistance with your application, including through the Veterans ON-line APPlication (also called VONAPP), a regional VA office, or the VA toll-free helpline at 1-800-827-1000.

by the National Institute on Aging

Caring for an older family member often requires teamwork. While one sibling might be local and take on most of the everyday caregiving responsibilities, a long-distance caregiver can also have an important role.

First, try to define the caregiving responsibilities. You could start by setting up a family meeting and, if it makes sense, include the care recipient in the discussion. This is best done when there is not an emergency. A calm conversation about what kind of care is wanted and needed now, and what might be needed in the future, can help avoid a lot of confusion.

Decide who will be responsible for which tasks. Many families find the best first step is to name a primary caregiver, even if one is not needed immediately. That way the primary caregiver can step in if there is a crisis.

Agree in advance how each of your efforts can complement one another so that you can be an effective team. Ideally, each of you will be able to take on tasks best suited to your skills or interests.

When thinking about who should be responsible for what, start with your strengths. Consider what you are particularly good at and how those skills might help in the current situation: When thinking about who should be responsible for what, consider your limits.

A spouse or the sibling who lives closest to an aging parent often becomes the primary caregiver. Long-distance caregivers can help by providing emotional support and occasional respite to the primary caregiver. Ask the primary caregiver what you can do to help. Staying in contact with your parents by phone or email might also take some pressure off your parent or sibling. Just listening may not sound like much help, but often it is.

Long-distance caregivers can also play a part in arranging for professional caregivers, hiring home health and nursing aides, or locating care in an assisted living facility or nursing home.

Long-distance caregivers may find they can be helpful by handling things online—for example, researching health problems or medicines, paying bills, or keeping family and friends updated. Some long-distance caregivers help a parent pay for care; others step in to manage finances.

Offer to arrange for respite care. Respite care will give your parent a break from caregiving responsibilities. It can be arranged for just an afternoon or for several days. Care can be provided in the family home, through an adult day services program, or at a skilled nursing facility.

Your parents may need more help from home-based care to continue to live in their own home. Some people find it hard to have paid caregivers in the house, but most also say that the assistance is invaluable.

In time, the person receiving care may have to move to assisted living or a nursing home. If that happens, the primary caregiver will need your support. You can help select a facility. The primary caregiver may need help adjusting to the person’s absence or to living alone at home. Just listening may not sound like much help, but often it is.

For More Information About Caregiving National Respite Locator Service www.archrespite.org/respitelocator